An Illinois man who traveled to Minneapolis to participate in the riots following the death of George Floyd pleaded guilty to arson, according to the Minnesota U.S. Attorney's Office.
Matthew Lee Rupert, 28, of Galesburg, Illinois, was charged on June 1 and pleaded guilty Wednesday in U.S. District Court.
According to Rupert's guilty plea and documents filed in court, on May 28, he posted messages on Facebook announcing his intent to travel to Minnesota, including one that stated, “I’m going to Minneapolis tomorrow who coming only goons I’m renting hotel rooms.”
On May 29, Rupert recorded a Facebook Live video that shows him in Minneapolis entering a boarded-up Sprint store on Nicollet Avenue. The video shows him surveying the store before going into a back room.